Training system for simulating an animated scene

Abstract

A system for simulating an animated scene useful, for example, in training personnel to dock large supertankers, fire modern weapons, etc. The system uses a pair of identical background transparencies, one of which is used to generate an animation zone including an electronically inlayed image of a moving object. The animation zone is then optically superimposed on the other transparency.

I claim: 
     
       1. An animated scene simulation system of the type wherein the image of an object is inserted electronically into an animation zone image which, in turn, is added optically into a landscape image, which comprises: means for generating first and second substantially similar landscape images;   means for inducing displacements of said images in their respective planes, each of these displacements being defined with respect to a given fixed mean axis perpendicular to the translation plane of the corresponding image;   an image converter, the optical axis of which is coincident with the means axis of the first landscape image and which produces an image of the animation zone;   an opaque screen the outline of which is similar to that of said animation zone and which is positioned opposite the second landscape image in registration with the mean axis of said second landscape image thereby to form an environmental image similar to the second landscape image but possessing a zero-brightness zone similar in outline and position in said environmental image to the animation zone in the first landscape image;   means for producing an animated object image in electronic form;   a processing device for electronically inserting the object image into the animation zone image thereby to produce in electronic form an animated image of the animation zone;   an image converter for producing in optical form an animated image of the animation zone;   means for producing, by the optical addition of the animated image of the animation zone and the environmental image, in correspondence with the zero-brightness zone, a moving image of the animated landscape, the displacement of said moving image being substantially similar to that of the second landscape image;   an optical compensation device for producing from the moving animated landscape image an animated landscape image observable in a viewfinder fixed with respect to an observer; and   control means for coordinating the operation of the object producing means, displacement inducing means and moving image producing means.   
     
     
       2. An animated scene simulation system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the landscape image generating means comprises: a first photographic transparency representing a landscape, the features in said landscape being defined by reference to two orthogonal reference axes, said transparency producing said first landscape image;   a second photographic transparency, substantially similar to said first photographic transparency, said second transparency producing said second landscape image; and   a carriage controlled by said control means, said carriage including means for guiding each of said transparencies along two orthogonal translation axes, while maintaining a fixed spacing there between and for guiding the transparencies such that their reference axes are parallel to the translation axes.   
     
     
       3. The system according to claim 2 wherein said object image producing means comprises a television camera, said image converter comprises a television monitor and said moving image producing means comprises a semitransparent mirror. 
     
     
       4. The system according to claim 2 wherein said optical compensating device comprises: first, second, third and fourth optical prisms, said first prism receiving said moving animated landscape image, and said fourth prism directing said image into said viewfinder.